According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) in the US, the total number of new tractor sales in the USA fell by 22,394 units during 2023 compared with 2022. However, upon looking further, some tractor categories such as two-wheel drive models over 100hp and the four-wheel-drive category recorded a yearly increase in sales. We look closer at the data below.

Given the nature of the US market and the continued popularity of the 2wd tractor, sales data is broken down into two-wheel and four-wheel-drive categories.

Two-wheel drive tractor sales

Within the two-wheel drive segment, sales data is further broken down into the following power bands; <40hp, 40-100hp and 100hp+. Meanwhile, four-wheel-drive tractors regardless of power fall under the one category.

Although the two-wheel-drive category appears negative overall, there are positives. Taking a closer look at the data provided by the AEM, 2023 was in fact a positive year for two-wheel-drive tractor sales in the 100hp+ category, recording a positive increases in sales of 5.2% on 2022. This equates to an increase of 1,363 two-wheel-drive 100hp+ sales for the year, a category which recorded a total sales figure of 27,387 units. The total number of two-wheel-drive tractors sold across all power bands concluded at 245,701, back 8.7% on the 269,193 units sold in 2022. However, it is worth noting that the <40hp and 40hp to 100hp category always records the bulk of sales (156,070 and 61,881 units respectively in 2023).

Lower horsepower two-wheel-drive tractor sales were hit hardest. The <40hp power band recorded a 10.7% drop for the calendar year of 2023 when compared with 2022, while the 40hp to 100hp dropped 9.1% for the same period.

4wd tractor sales

On the other hand, there appears to be an increasing transition to four-wheel-drive tractors in the US, with sales up 31.7% in 2023 compared with 2022. A total 4,564 units were sold for the full 2023 calendar year compared with 3,466 during 2022.

Although 2023 was a positive year for two-wheel-drive tractors 100hp+ and all four-wheel-drive units, arguably those selling into the agricultural market, the total tractor sales tally for 2023 was down 22,394 units or 8.2% in total. This is purely due to the weighting the two-wheel-drive <40hp and 40hp to 100hp categories have on the market even though such units may never actually end up on farm.

The combine harvester market in both the USA closed out 2023 on a positive note with registrations up 1.7% for 2023 compared to 2022. The calendar year 2023 recorded 7,369 new combine sales, 121 more than that during 2022.